Budgeting for university life

Moving away for university is often the first time you pay for everything yourself. Planning your budget before you go is one of the best ways to enjoy the experience rather than worry about money.

Costs to plan for

• Rent or university accommodation, and whether bills (electricity, water, internet) are included.
• Food: groceries plus eating out and takeaways, which are easy to underestimate.
• Transport: daily travel, plus flights home in the holidays.
• Course costs: books, software, equipment, printing and field trips.
• Phone, health costs, insurance, subscriptions, clothes and social life.
• One-off set-up costs at the start: bedding, kitchen items, deposits and a laptop if you need one.

What students actually spend: a dated benchmark

• Save the Student's National Student Money Survey 2026, of over 1,000 UK students, found average spending of about GBP 1,146 a month.
• The biggest items were rent (GBP 551), groceries (GBP 155), transport (GBP 73) and household bills (GBP 68).
• Going out averaged GBP 60 and takeaways and eating out GBP 45 a month.
• These are averages for the UK in one survey year. Your costs will depend on your city, accommodation and lifestyle, and prices change every year.

Visa money rules are a minimum, not a budget

• Students applying for a UK Student visa must show money for living costs. As listed on GOV.UK in October 2026, this is GBP 1,529 a month for courses in London and GBP 1,171 a month outside London, for up to 9 months.
• For a 9-month requirement, that is GBP 13,761 in London or GBP 10,539 outside London, on top of course fees.
• The money must be held for 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of your application.
• These are proof-of-funds rules, not a guide to comfortable living. Always check GOV.UK for current figures before applying.

Worked monthly budget: student outside London

• Illustrative income: GBP 1,250 a month from family support and savings.
• Rent GBP 600, groceries GBP 160, transport GBP 60, bills GBP 50, phone GBP 15, course materials GBP 20.
• Going out and eating out GBP 120, clothes and personal items GBP 50, subscriptions GBP 15, gifts and charity GBP 20.
• Savings and buffer GBP 140.
• Check: 600 + 160 + 60 + 50 + 15 + 20 + 120 + 50 + 15 + 20 + 140 = GBP 1,250. Build your own with real quotes for your city.

Living at home versus living away

• Studying in the UAE and living at home usually removes rent and much of the food bill, but you may have higher transport costs, such as fuel, taxis or metro fares.
• Living away adds rent, bills, groceries, laundry and flights home, but you may save on daily commuting.
• To compare, list both options side by side with real quotes from accommodation offices and your own tracked spending.
• Include the value of time: a long commute costs hours that you could use for study or a part-time job.

Budget by the week

• Falmouth University suggests subtracting essential outgoings from your total term income and dividing by the number of weeks in the term.
• Example: term income GBP 4,000 minus essentials GBP 2,800 leaves GBP 1,200; over 10 weeks that is GBP 120 a week to live on.
• Student loans, scholarships and family transfers often arrive in large chunks. Move them into a separate account and pay yourself a weekly amount.
• Use your university's money advice service: many offer free, confidential budgeting appointments.